Capsule-filling machine



(No Model.) I 8 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. SGHINDLER. v

CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE. No. 566,098. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets- -Sheet 2.

G. SGHINDLER; CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE.

No. 566,098. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

FEEL I \X/ITNEEEEEZ (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. SOHINDLER. CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE.

No. 566,098. PatentedAug. 18, 1896.

INVENTBFQ' u RRIS PETERS p0 moraumoh was" an UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CHARLES SCHINDLER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

CAPSULE-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,098, dated August18, 1896.

Application filed April 2, 1895. Serial No. 544,179. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES SCHINDLER, of Toledo, in the county of Lucasand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Filling Capsules, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a new and useful apparatus for fillingcapsules; and it consists in the novel features of construction andrelative arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described in thespecification, clearly illustratedin the drawings, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying three sheets of drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which like characters indicate' like parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an apparatusmade in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a View taken atright angles to the View shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a top planView of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 represents a verticalsectional View taken on the line 4 at of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents across-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 representsa top plan View of the divider-trough and the hopper. Fig. 7 representsa detail perspective View of a portion of the divider-plate. Fig. 8represents a front elevation of the leveler.

To a suitable base a is secured a standard a by means of screws m, thatpass up through the top of the base and into the bottom of the standard,as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This standard is formed with an overhangingarm (b said arm being provided with a slot 0 in which there is located amutilated spur-gear a rigidly mounted upon a spindle a that isarrangedto turn in suitable bearings in the complemental parts of theoverhanging arm a that form the slot. The end of the overhanging arm isconstructed in the shape of a vertical cylinder a provided with acentral bore a. The side of the cylinder a adjacent to the spur-gear ais cut away, as at a", to permit said spur-gear to project into the boreo Upon a stud b projecting from the cylinder a in a plane parallel tothe spindle 6?, are loosely mounted a pinion b and a bevelgear b Saidpinion and gear are preferably cast in one piece, but they may be joinedtogether in any suitable way so that they will rotate in unison, andmotion imparted to the pinion will be transmitted to the bevel-gear.

Rigidly mounted upon one end of the spindle a is a spur-gear (1positioned and arranged to engage the pinion 5 A crank-arm a is rigidlysecured to the spindle a on the opposite end of the spindle from thegear (1 A bevel-gear b is mounted upon the exterior of the lower" partof the cylinder 0. and-arranged to turn thereon and to engage thebevel-gear b and be turned by said gear.

The bevel-gear b carries a stirrer-frame composed of arms 11 that extenddown into a funnel or hopper 0 to be hereinafter described, all as shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 6. A bar I) is arranged in the bore a of the cylindera of a size to fit 'said bore, but to permit of movement therein. Thisbar is provided upon one side with the rack-teeth 1), arranged to engagethe teeth of the mutilated gear 0,. To the lower end of this bar I) isconnected by a screw 12 a plunger-rod b arranged to be reciprocated in achamber 01 formed in a moldblock d hereinafter described, the bar I) andthe plunger-rod 17 forming What I term a plunger.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by turning the crank-arm amotion will be imparted to the spindle a and to the spur-gear Therecipro'; g Y

cation of the plunger and the rotation of the stirrer-frame aresimultaneous.

h represents a lug rigidly secured to the spindle a by means of a screwh. The portion of the gear a that is mutilated is arranged to be on theopposite side of the spindle from that occupied by the end of the lug hso that the lug it will cease to be in. engagement with the pin h beforethe teeth on the gear 01. engage the rack-teeth b, and on the returnstroke the teeth of the gear a will be out of engagement with therack-teeth h before the lug 77/ engages the pin h In operating themachine the handle is turned a little over one hundred and eightydegrees from the position shown in Fig. 1 in back to the position shownin Fig. 1. It is not designed to give the handle a complete rotation,but only a partial one and to impart to the spindle a reciprocatingmotion as distinguished from a rotary motion.

A'leaf-spring a, secured to the cylinder a has its free end arranged toengage a pin a (see Figs. 2 and 4,) mounted in said cylinder and adaptedto engage a notch b in the bar I) to retain the plunger in its elevatedposition until operated upon by the gear a A bracket is secured to thestandard a by screws 0 passing through a depending flange c on saidbracket and into said standard. The bracket extends out from thestandard beneath and in line with the overhang ing arm and terminates ina funnel-shaped hopper 0 the delivery-mouth of which is in line with theplunger 13 and registers with the arc of movement of the chamber 01 ofthe mold-block, so that the hopper can deliver into the particularchamber of the mold-block that it is desired to use.

A divider c is removably and rotatively mounted upon the bracket byhaving a spindle c on the upper side of the bracket engage acentrally-apertured hub c of the divider. This divider is composed of atable portion 0 a circular trough e surrounding said table and providedwith a delivery-opening 0 arranged over the upper edge of the hopper andadapted to deliver the contents of the divider into the hopper, acircular plate 0 an arm 0*, and a ratchet-disk o". The plate 0 ismounted upon the spindle c and rests on the table portion 0 It isprovided with consecutively-numbered indentations 0 near its peripheryand with a blade 0 that extends down into and fits the trough 0 A pin 0projects from the upper side of said plate in substantially a radialline with said blade. A pin 0 (see Fig. 4) onthe bracket projects intothe lower part of the trough 0 and prevents the trough from rotating.

The arm 0 is provided at one end with a centrally-apertured hub 0 thatis mounted on the spindle immediately above the plate 0 and at its otherend with a blade arranged in and fitting the trough. The hub c fitssnugly to the spindle 0 The arm. 0 is preferably flexible and providedon its under side with a pin 0 arranged to engage any desiredindentation and in connection with the close-fitting hub to hold theblade 0 at any desired point.

0 represents a ratchet-disk mounted upon the spindle 0 above the arm 0and provided upon its periphery with ratchet-teeth e and with a centralaperture 4" to engage the spindle c and also with an aperture 7' toengage the pin 0 This disk isvprovided on its under side (see Figs. 4and 7) with blades 7', one for each tooth 0 These blades are shaped,asin the case-of the blades 0 and 0 to fit the trough 0 This disk withits blades is intermittently rotated by means of the pawl h hereinafterdescribed, whereby a predeinto the funnel c at each movement of said.

disk. As shown in Fig. 7, one of the teeth 0 of the disk has nocorresponding blade, and the aperture r in the disk is in the sameradial line as the front edge of said tooth. When the parts areassembled, as hereinafter described, the pin 0 engages the aperture Tand the blade 0 is thus made to take the place of the missing blade onthe disk 0 The operation of this portion of my device is as follows:Vhen it is desired to charge the divider, the disk 0 is removed, and thearm 0, with its blade 0 turned to separate the blades 0 and 0 the numberof spaces apart that corresponds to the number of capsules into which itis desired to put the powder or other substance. I

Suppose, for the sake of illustration, that it is desired to charge fivecapsules. The arm 0 is turned until its pin 0 engages an indentation ethatis, five indentations or teeth 0 away from the pin 0 and thusspacing the blades 0 and 0 five teeth apart. The powder is then placedin the trough in the predetermined space between the blades 0 and e andleveled off to equally distribute it in this portion of the trough. Theleveling of the powder may be done in any desired way, but for accuracy,as well as for convenience, I prefer to use the leveler t. (Shown inFig. 8.) This is composed of a thimble if, centrally apertured, as shownin dotted lines, to fit the spindle c Mounted to slide upon arms 15 1extending radially from the lower end of the thimble, are blades iarranged side by side and pressed apart by a helical spring i mountedupon one of the arms 23 between said blades. A cap t joins the outerends of the arms and prevents the outer blade being forced off the armsby the spring. The blades t are shaped to fit the trough c in connectionwith which they are to be used. A set-screw i mounted in the upper endof the thimble 25 and projecting into the aperture in said thimble,serves as a stop to adjust the distance that the thimble can be presseddown upon the spindle c and consequently the distance the blades 15 willproject into the trough. The powder being in the trough, as hereinbeforedescribed, the leveler is placed upon the spindle, the blades adjustingthemselves to the sides of the trough by means of the spring i Now byturning the leveler the blades will distribute the powder evenly in thetrough.

The thimble and set-screw may be milled, as at t 25 respectively, inorder to the more readily manipulate these parts. The powder beingleveled in the trough, the leveler is removed and the disk 0 placed uponthe spindle 0 the pin 0 engaging the aperture r in the disk, the bladesin said disk projecting into the powder, and in connection with theblades 0 and 0 dividing the powder in five l the recess.

equal parts, which parts will be deposited into the funnel 0 one at atime by the rotation of the disk 0", which carries with it the blade 0by means of the pin 0 An arm d, pivoted bya pintle d to lugs d,projecting from a bracket 01 secured to the standard a by screws 00,carries at its free end a moldblock (1 apertured to form a series ofvertical mold-chambers 01 The parts are so'arranged that any particularmold-chamber may be brought under the mouth of the funnel c to receivethe powder thrown into said funnel by the divider, and in position alsoto permit the plunger 1) to be forced into said mold-chamber to compressthe powder.

The mold-block is provided with a groove d and immediately below thegroove with a series of holes d corresponding to the moldchambers 61 Abracket '6 secured to the base a by screws (1 has a horizontalprojection (1 arranged to engage the groove d of the mold-block tosteady the latter and support it in its different adjustments as it ismoved to make the different mold-chambers register with the mouth of thefunnel. A sliding bolt (2 mounted in a chambered por tion d of theprojection d", has its inner end arranged to engage the holes d in themoldblock to retain said block in any desired position. A helical spring0P mounted upon said bolt between the end of the chamber d and a collar61 on the bolt, serves to normally force the bolt toward the mold-block.

The lower end of the mold-block is formed with a dovetailed recess orgroove d, extending lengthwise of said block, and with which all of thechambers 11 communicate. A similar recess 01 extends crosswise of saidblock, intersecting the recess (Z One or more chambers d communicatewith recess d. The recesses d d in cross-section have substantially thesame dimensions. 01* represents a dovetailed slide constructed to fitand slide in one of the recesses and be removably retained therein bythe complemental dovetailed parts upon the slide and the sides of Afinger-piece d on the slide serves as a convenient means formanipulating the latter. The slide when in place fills the recess inwhich it is inserted and closes the lower ends of the chambers d undermyself to any precise number of chambers in the mold-block or to theirsize, or to any precise number of blades on the disk 0 7. The particularnumber of each will be determined by the use to which the particularmachine is to be put. a

The divider and the mold-block form important features of my invention.By means of the divider I am enabled to readily and, what is moreimportant, to accurately divide the powder or other substance to beused, while by means of the mold chambers I am enabled to compress thepowder or other material into practically the smallest space it willoccupy, if desired, before it is dropped into the capsule below, as willbe hereinafter described. Owing to the extremely fragile material ofwhich the capsule is composed, it is not possible to compress to anyextent the material after it is in the capsule. Large capsules areobjectionable, owing to the difliculty in swallowing them. By myimproved apparatus these difficulties are overcome. The material may becompressed into a small space, thus permitting a comparatively smallcapsule to be used.

A plate f, secured to the base a by means of screws f, has a reducedprojecting hub f from the center of which projects a pintle f Mountedupon this pintle f and resting on the hub f is a disk f. A pawl f ismounted upon the upper side of this disk, and a spring f on said diskengages the free end of said pawl and tends to force it inward and intoengagement with the teeth of a ratchetwheel f rotatably mounted upon thepintle f and resting upon the disk This ratchetwheel .is connected by apin f to a capsulecarrier f mounted upon the pintle f and resting uponthe said ratchet-wheel. spring f secured by a screw f to the base a, hasits free end arranged to bear against the periphery of the carrier tohold the latter against accidental displacement and in the position intowhich it and the ratchet-wheel are moved by the pawl on the disk f. Aseries of sockets f are formed in the carrier at such a distance fromthe pintle that by rotating said carrier any socket may be brought intothe same vertical plane as that occupied by the plunger b and hence insuch a position under the mold-block that the capsule f 9 in said socketwill receive the contents of the mold-chamber as they are forced out bythe plunger after the slide d is withdrawn. The carrier is moved by theratchet and pawl to present a fresh capsule just in advance of thedescent of the plunger, while the divider is operated to discharge afresh portion of material into the hopper after the plunger has beenwithdrawn from the mold-block.

Any desired mechanism may be employed to operate the divider and thecarrier and to regulate their movements in relation to thereciprocations of the plunger. For simplicity and cheapness ofconstruction I prefer to make use of the instrumentalities to behereinafter described. A lever h, pivoted to the sides of the standard aby means of a' screw or bolt h, is provided at its lower end with an Amar apertured enlargement 71. In this aperture is arranged thescrew-threaded end of a rod W. This rod is secured to the lever h bymeans of screws 77, mounted upon said rod on either side of saidenlargement and screwed tightly against the latter. The other end ofthis rod is connected bya pin 77. to the disk f A spring 77.2 connectsthe lower end of the lever h with the standard a and tends to pull thelower end of said lever toward the carrier. The upper end of the leveris formed with an arm 71 that extends under the spindle a and beside thelug 72 A pin 71, on said lever near its end is arranged to be en gagedby said lug. When the crank-arm a is moved in the direction of thearrow, the lug it will leave the pin 7L7 and the spring b will pull thelower end of the lever inward and throw the upper end of the leveroutward. As the crank-arm a is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1the lug h will, during the last part of its movement, engage the pin 72,and thus impart to the lever a movement opposite to that given it by thespring 71 In other words, the lug operates the lever in onedirection,while the spring operates said lever in the oppositedirection. A pawl 72. pivoted to a lug h on the standard, is arranged toengage the ratchet-teeth 0 being kept in engagement with said teeth by aspring 71 secured to the lever 77. and bearing on an extension h of thepawl h. The pawl 72. and the rod 72/3, with the pawl f, are located onopposite sides of the pivot h, so that when one pawl is turning itsparticular ratchet wheel the other pawl is shifting to engage anothertooth. The mutilated portion of the gear 0. is shown in Figs. 1 and 3,and is of sufficient extent to permit the movement of the crank-arm aafter the plunger is in its elevated position to operate the lever h.After the material has been compressed in the mold chambers, ashereinbefore described, the slide (1 is withdrawn and the materialpushed into the successive capsules as they are presented automaticallyby the turning of the carrier. When but one capsule is to be filled, thematerial maybe thrown directly into the hopper and the work completed asif the material had been deposited into the hopper by the divider.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have invented an exceedinglysimple and efiicient apparatus for filling capsules. The powder or othermaterial is accurately divided and compressed in a moldcham-ber. As soonas the powder is compressed the slide is withdrawn and the downwardmovement of the plunger completed, the powder being forced out of thechamber and dropped into the capsule immediately beneath it, a newcapsule being presented at each filling of the chamber. Themold-chambers are preferably of various sizes to correspond with thevarious sizes of" capsules to be used or the shape and size into whichit is desired to shape the material. There will be a separate plungerrodto correspond with each different sized or shaped mold-chamber.

Attention is called to the stirrer-frame, whose side bars rotate inclose proximity to the sides of the funnel during the movement of theplunger in order to prevent the powder from clinging to the funnel andto stir it about and direct it into the chamber.

As hereinbefore stated, I do not desire to limit myself to the number orsize of the chambers in the mold-block or to the number of divisions inthe divider. All these are a matter of selection for the particularmachine to be built.

In addition to the filling of capsules the machine, or parts of it, maybe used for other purposes. The powder-divider may be used simply as apowder-divider and independent of the balance of the machine. When thusused, it may be held in the hand and the powder discharged upon thepapers in which they are to be folded.

The machine may be used in making tablets or compressed pills, in whichthe tablet or pill may be discharged into a suitable receptacle insteadof a capsule.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a capsule-filling machine, in combination, a movable carrier forholding capsules,

a mold to stand over said carrier, and pro-.

vided with a mold-chamber, a movable bottom arranged in said mold, andadapted to close said chamber, and to be withdrawn to permit thecontents of said chamber to be ejected into a capsule carried by saidcarrier, a plunger to enter said mold to compress the material placedtherein, and when the said bottom is removed, to eject the saidcompressed mass, or matter into a capsule, and means for reciprocatingthe plunger and removing the capsule-carrier to present an unfilledcapsule under the chamber of said mold, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a capsule-filling machine, in combination, a movablecapsule-carrier, a 1n old-block arranged above said carrier providedwith mold-chambers, a divider having a funnel arranged to discharge intothe mold-chambers, a reciprocating plunger arranged to be moved into andout of said mold-chambers, a rotary spindle, and means for operatingsaid parts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a capsule-filling machine, in combination, a movablecapsule-carrier, a mold-block arranged above said carrier provided withmold-chambers, a divider having a funnel arranged to discharge into themold-chambers, a reciprocating plunger arranged to be moved into and outof said mold-chambers, a rotary IIO spindle, a stirrer-frame arranged insaid funnel, and means for operating said parts, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

4. In a divider in combination a fixed circular trough provided Withanoutlet, movable spacing-blades arranged in said trough, and a pivotedplate having blades arranged to enter said trough to subdivide the spacebetween said first-mentioned blades, and means for rotating said plate,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A leveler comprising in its construction a thimble, support connectedthereto, and a spring-pressed blade mounted upon said sup port,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a capsule-filling machine, in combina tion, a mold-block providedwith a mold-cham- CHARLES SOHINDLER.

Witnesses:

A. J. BARSCH, CHARLES E. KENT.

